


Try again

by RedBeautyFTW



Category: Teenage Bounty Hunters (TV), stepril
Genre: F/F, Femslash, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Girls Kissing, Happy Ending, Jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:27:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27345043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedBeautyFTW/pseuds/RedBeautyFTW
Summary: Takes place a month after the lock in...April's home life is a mess....Sterling comes out at school and starts dating....April wonders if they can try again....
Relationships: April Stevens/Sterling Wesley, Stepril - Relationship
Comments: 26
Kudos: 272





	Try again

One month. Six days. Four hours. Thirty eight minutes. 

That was exactly how much time had passed since April’s world turned upside down. 

Every morning, she wished her father would have just stayed in prison. The tension in the house was palpable with him back and the fighting was unbearable. Slamming doors and cabinets were April’s new alarm clock and her head pounded from the consistent banging. The air was thick, and it made it impossible to breathe even with such a large amount of space. 

Not only was John Stevens making her home life a living hell, his return ruined the best thing that ever happened to her. Her first relationship, with Sterling Wesley no less, was ripped from her hands before she even had a chance to process the reality of it all. She never thought Sterling would come back into her life and she did… 

Like a bullet through her chest tearing every inch of her apart. 

Seeing Sterling at school was hard. She tried to go back to ignoring her, but it was impossible when the scent that was distinctly Sterling filled her senses. When she could feel those beautiful blue eyes on the back of her neck, warming her skin and causing trails of goosebumps on her arms. 

It drove her crazy. 

April walked between Hannah B. and Ezequiel, half listening to them excitedly go over their plans for the weekend. Their voices blurred together sounding almost muffled in her ears. Her body glided through the halls on autopilot, masterfully avoiding students as they passed by her. She made sure to somewhat pay attention to her surroundings. The one thing she didn’t want to do was run into Sterling unprepared. Knowing she was going to be with her in class or Fellowship was one thing. 

Randomly bumping into her was another. 

She wasn’t exactly sure when they stepped into Fellowship, but she was completely aware of Sterling’s eyes fixed on her. The blonde followed her movements as she made her way to her usual spot on the couch, which was conveniently close to the spot Sterling currently occupied on the floor. She allowed herself a quick glance toward Sterling, immediately noticing the sad smile gracing her perfect lips. 

God, how she missed kissing those lips. 

April shook off the thought, muttering an incoherent hello. Sterling barely had a chance to respond before April distracted herself with some random objects inside her bag. Sterling audibly sighed, looking away as her hand raised to absentmindedly play with one of her braids. April tried not to watch her. She tried to keep her attention on Ellen as she went over their discussion for the day. 

But Sterling looked adorable fidgeting with her hair. Her eyes were bright, focused on every word Ellen spoke. 

“Now, before we get started, Sterling Wesley has something she’d like to share with all of us. Sterling, go ahead, sweetie.“ 

All eyes turned to Sterling and April reluctantly joined the rest of the class placing her attention on the other girl. Blair rubbed her back, leaning closer to her sister to whispering something. Sterling nodded, swallowing back what seemed to be a growing anxiety. April wondered if it was strange that she could feel Sterling’s nervous energy. She shifted from her place on the couch under the weight of it. 

Sterling stood slowly, wiping her hands on her pants once she was standing tall. Her throat bobbed with another nervous swallow and she cleared her throat before opening her mouth to speak to the group. 

“Um-I just wanted to-“ Sterling paused, releasing a shaky breath. “I’m bisexual.” 

April was fairly certain she was having a heart attack. 

She knew all the symptoms. They had gone over them time and time again during women’s health months, engraining procedures in their brain so that they would be fully prepared. Heart palpitations, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath. April had all of those symptoms and more. In her mind, she knew she was overreacting. She wasn’t having a heart attack… 

A panic attack, at the least. 

The room collectively gasped. April was fairly certain her heart stopped. Her hand shot to her neck and she fidgeted with her cross. Sterling continued to speak, explaining her journey to self-discovery. It was odd to hear their story being told as if the person involved with Sterling was a stranger. As if she wasn’t the one who awakened this newfound path Sterling was happily moving down. 

Sterling looked around the room as she spoke, moving her hands animatedly with each eloquently spoken word. April refused to make eye contact with her. Even when she felt the heat from Sterling’s gaze on her cheek, she focused on the open book in her lap. Twisting her gold cross between her fingers. She feared any eye contact with Sterling at this point would connect her to the other girl’s confession. 

The room felt like it was spinning. Her throat had gone dry, and she was pretty sure her heart shouldn’t be pounding in her ears. She focused on the way her chain felt around her neck as she fidgeted with her cross. It grounded her and gave her something to focus on other than Sterling coming out to the entire class. 

By the end of Fellowship, her body ached from how tensely she had been sitting. And she prayed the awkward, unorganized, way she gathered her things and bolted out of the room wasn’t obvious to anyone other than herself…. 

*************************************************************** 

_“I’m still in shock about Sterling Wesley being a lesbian.”_

_“She’s not a lesbian. She’s bisexual.”_

_“Like that’s any different…”_

_“There’s a big difference!”_

_“Doesn’t matter. It’s a sin.”_

_“It is not! God loves everyone.”_

The students of Willingham really didn’t have an off button. It had been over two weeks since Sterling came out during Fellowship and still it was the hot topic of conversation. No matter where anyone turned, no matter what clique they passed, someone was talking about Sterling Wesley. 

And April needed some form of sanctuary from all the chatter. 

She wasn’t sure why going straight home on a Friday would provide her with that. The Stevens household was no less tense then April’s own body. Sitting down to dinner with her parents each night was just awkward. During those brief moments of “family time” the yelling was replaced with slamming down of requested items and sarcastic comments when conversations were attempted. 

April barley took two bites of her food before she asked to be excused. 

The solace of her room proved to be no better. Lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, only allowed her to think about Sterling. She wondered what would have happened if she had been brave too. If she had pulled herself from the couch and stood beside Sterling. Supporting her. Holding her hand. Also telling her truth. 

Maybe Sterling wouldn’t be on a date with someone else right now. 

She grabbed her pillow, placing the cushion over her face. A loud growl rumbled from her throat and she kicked her feet against the mattress. She hated the fact that she knew Sterling was out on a date. She hated that her attention was always so in tune with the blonde that she sometimes overheard conversations between her and Blair. 

She hated that Blair purposely spoke loud enough to ensure April heard every word. 

April sat up, quickly scrambling for her phone. She had to get out of the house. She needed some sense of sanity. There was too much running through her mind, breaking apart at the neat little file cabinets her brain had created to protect her from things like this. Her fingers moved swiftly across the screen as she sent a group text to Hannah B. and Ezequiel. 

**Hannah B (7:30pm): OH! Let’s go bowling!**

**Ezequiel (7:31pm): Ew, no. I hate having to wear other people’s shoes.**

**Hannah B (7:32pm): Just wear your own socks. It’ll be fine.**

**April (7:33pm): I don’t care what we do. Just please get me out of this house before my head explodes.**

**Hannah B (7:33pm): We’ll be there in 20.**

April swore that was the longest twenty minutes of her life. 

She breathed a sigh of relief the moment she sat down inside Hannah B.’s car. Her parents had resumed their screaming match when she was leaving. She was fairly certain they didn’t hear her shout goodbye on her way out the door. And, in all honesty, she really didn’t care. She was simply happy to be out of her house. 

“We thought we would go to Bowlero.” Hannah B. said. Her eyes shifted to the rear view mirror, catching April’s attention. “That way we can eat too.” 

Ezequiel turned in his seat, resting his hand on the soft leather. “Bowling and bowling alley food. What could be more fun?” 

April chuckled through her closed mouth smile. “Bowlero is actually nice.” She defended, waving off his eye roll. “Your just mad because you never bowl over a hundred.” 

Ezequiel spun around with a loud, offended gasp. “How dare you.” 

April raised an eyebrow. “Speak the truth?” 

His eyes narrowed, and he huffed before turning forward. There was barely a second of silence before Ezequiel took in a super sharp breath. “Oh!” He pulled down his visor and flipped open the vanity mirror, looking at April through the reflection. “I can not believe we haven’t talked about Sterling Wesley.” 

April tensed. She was also fairly certain her heart leapt into her throat. “What?” She croaked, clearing her throat immediately. “What are you talking about?” 

“About Sterling being bisexual.” He responded, casually. He slowly narrowed his eyes, skeptically studying April. “Did you know?” 

April swore she was talking. In her mind, a coherent response to Ezequiel’s question was tumbling from her lips. An impassioned speech inquiring why he would think she would know anything going on with Sterling Wesley. Doing a few projects together did not make them best friends. 

But, from the way Ezequiel judging her, she knew the only sound coming from her mouth were incoherent chokes. 

She swallowed hard, composing herself. “Why would I have known?” 

“You two were spending a lot of time together.” 

“Doing projects for class.” April defended. 

“And the lock in playlist.” Hannah B. chimed in. 

Ezequiel snapped his fingers and pointed at her. “And the scavenger hunt.” 

“And didn’t you two hang out when her parents went to-“ 

“Okay!” April exclaimed, louder than she intended. She sighed, raising her hand scratching at the crease that suddenly developed between her eyebrows. “Whoever Sterling dates or falls in love with-” Her stomach churned at the thought of Sterling doing either of those things with anyone other than her. “Is her business.” Her green eyes shifted from one to the other. “So, can we just not talk about her life? The rest of Willingham is doing enough of that for all of us.” 

“People have been oddly supportive.” Ezequiel noted, snapping the visor shut once again. 

“Yeah, I haven’t really heard anyone say anything bad about it.” Hannah B. added, slowing to a stop. She glanced at April in her rear view mirror. “Sometimes people surprise you.” 

April met Hannah B.’s reflection in the small mirror and offered her a small, warm smile in response. Her attention shifted toward Ezequiel and he turned his head to meet her eyes. The same smile played on his lips as he tossed her a wink then looked away. 

“Hannah B., the light is green.” 

“Oh, shoot! Sorry!” 

April laughed quietly to herself and shook her head. 

Yeah, she definitely needed this. 

********************************************************** 

Imagining her father as the center pin really improved April’s bowling game. She was already a pretty decent bowler, but the thought of knocking John Stevens over gave her motivation to do even better. The ball hit with a loud clack and the surrounding pins tumbled down. April smiled to herself, clapping her hands together. 

Ezequiel groaned loudly from his seat, tossing his head back. “Unbelievable.” 

“April, that’s like, your third strike in a row.” Hannah B. noted, looking up at the score board. Her attention shifted back to April, tilting her head curiously as the shorter girl returned to her seat. “You’re seriously on fire tonight.’ 

April shrugged, crossing over Ezequiel to take the seat beside him. “It helps when you think of someone you don’t like and just-“ She slid her hands together like she was drawing a straight line. “Let it go.” 

Ezequiel scrunched his nose, flashing her a sympathetic look. “Your dad?” 

April nodded. 

“Remember when it used to be Sterling?” Hannah B. chimed in, pressing a few buttons on the screen. 

April would really like to know what shift in the Universe caused her best friends to be so interested in Sterling Wesley. She was just about to address the need when a loud shout rang out somehow overpowering the sounds of pins being struck. It was a familiar shout though. So familiar that it pulled April’s attention one lane over. 

Blair was high fiving Darren Boggs. He picked her up attempting some awkward celebratory spin. 

She wondered how long they had been there. Why she didn’t notice them when they settled into their lane. Maybe because she was too focused on knocking her imaginary father over with an eight pound ball. 

Her heart crawled from her chest and into her throat, lodging itself somewhere in the middle. Somewhere that made it impossible for her to breathe normally. Her gaze involuntarily shifted to her left. Her heart leapt on its own accord and her breath hitched at the couple sitting side by side on the row of chairs. 

Sterling and Chase Colton. That’s who Sterling agreed to as part of her sister’s double date plan. 

Chase fucking Colton. 

April raised her hand to her chest, closing her eyes as she tried to regain her composure. She heard Ezequiel ask if she was okay. She nodded in response, keeping her eyes closed as she focused on her breathing. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted with bright blue staring directly back at her. It took every bit of energy she had left to stop herself from falling out of her chair. 

Sterling held her phone loosely in her hand, an amused opened mouth expression on her face. April noticed Chase chattering on about something from the corner of her eye, but her full focus was on Sterling. She looked amazing. Her hair was half up and half down. She was wearing a dark blue top and skinny jeans with tiny rips in the knees. April tried not to allow her eyes to drift up and down, but it was impossible. 

When she met Sterling’s eyes again, she carried a full blown smug smirk on her lips. 

“April, you’re up.” Ezequiel stated, patting her on her shoulder. 

April jumped, and Sterling bit into her bottom lip to prevent her smirk from spreading further. The blonde lowered her gaze and April stood still slightly dazed. “Um, yeah. Okay.” 

Ezequiel furrowed his brow. He inconspicuously glanced to his right, smiling when he noticed the Wesley Twins with their respective dates. He squinted with a hum as he assessed the group then turned back to April, sincerely. “Are you good?” 

April sighed, flashing him a soft smile. “I’m good.” She promised as she lightly squeezed his arm and walked toward the ball dispenser. 

She took in a breath and tried to focus on the pins. She took a few careful steps forward, swinging her arm back, and releasing the ball down the lane. 

“Wow! Did you seriously just get a gutter ball?” 

April closed her eyes, feeling the flush pull onto her cheeks as she turned and made her way back to the ball dispenser. She refused to look toward the other group because she had an extraordinarily strong feeling Sterling was smiling at her. 

Her horrible performance on that turn did not go unteased. 

“Hey, I’m going to go to the bathroom.” Sterling announced, loud enough for their entire section to hear. 

April tried not to acknowledge her words. She swallowed, shifting anxiously in her seat as she watched Sterling stand from her place next to Chase. 

Blair made a face. “Way to tell the whole bowling alley.” 

“I just wanted to make sure you could hear me.” Sterling scoffed, shooting Blair a look. 

April subtly shifted her stare from one twin to the next. She never understood what they were doing when they stared at one another like that. Suddenly, Blair turned in her direction making direct eye contact with April. The brunette groaned and rolled her eyes as she turned back to Sterling. She waved her hand, forcefully. 

“Just hurry up! We ordered food.” 

Sterling nodded, several times before changing a look at April. Her eyes shifted to the side then she turned in a half circle and walked up the tiny steps. She hesitated for a moment then hurried off toward the bathroom. 

“I, uh-“ April began as she slowly rose from her seat. She looked from Ezequiel to Hannah B. “I’ll be right back.” 

Ezequiel raised an eyebrow suspiciously as he regarded her. “Hmm, have fun.” 

Her face flushed. She cleared her throat, steeling her expression. “I’m just going to the bathroom.” 

He pursed his lips. “Mmhmm.” 

Hannah B. half turned in her seat, oblivious to the stare down April and Ezequiel were currently locked in. “Hey, do you guys want to split a Nacho Avalanche?” 

“Sounds great, Hannah B.” They answered, simultaneously. 

“Okay, cool!” 

April squinted. It was her quiet way of saying she was walking away from this stare down. She ignored his smug expression and hurriedly walked away. Her mind raced as she navigated her way through the groups of people. There was a voice inside her head, screaming for her to turn around. Meeting Sterling Wesley in the bathroom while she was in the middle of hanging out with her friends, while Sterling was in the middle of a double date…. 

Definitely not on her list of brightest ideas. 

She swung the bathroom door open harder than she intended. She cringed when the heavy wood banged against the garbage can oddly placed behind the door. Sterling looked up from her place on the counter beside the sink. April scrunched her brow as she took a few cautious steps toward Sterling. 

“You’ll just sit anywhere, won’t you?” April asked, before she could stop herself. She was actually proud of herself for keeping her voice so even and casual. 

Sterling flashed her adorable smile and hopped down from the counter. “It’s not like they have chairs in here.” She met April halfway, stopping to leave some space between them. “Funny seeing you here.” 

“Yeah, I uh-“ April thrusted her thumb over her shoulder. “Needed to get out of the house.” 

Sterling twisted her mouth, a sad expression crossing her face. “Things still bad?” 

April offered a short nod. She breathed out, making a face. “Chase Colton? Really?” She questioned, a light teasing in her tone. 

Sterling rolled her eyes. “Blair. She’s been dying for me to give him a chance and-“ A disgusted look crossed her face and she stuck out her tongue briefly. “He’s really boring.” 

April laughed, feeling oddly relieved by Sterling’s confession. Sterling’s face brightened and she joined in on the short soft laughter before they both slipped into silence. They shared one bashful look before April glanced passed Sterling’s shoulder. Her focus remained on the wash your hands sign for a second before she met Sterling’s beautiful blue eyes again. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was going to-“ 

“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to you after-“ 

Their word blended together, falling into a jumbled mess. They stopped, laughing awkwardly. Sterling fidgeted with her nails, motioning toward April to continue. 

April exhaled. “I’m sorry I didn’t stay behind that day in Fellowship. It was just a little… unexpected.” 

Sterling pressed her lips together, bobbing her head. “I was going to tell you but talking to you these days hasn’t been the easiest thing to schedule.” 

“I know. Again, I’m sorry. Just with everything going on-” 

She paused, biting back her reasons for not standing by Sterling’s side. For not supporting her the way she really wanted to that day. The way she wanted to every day. Her hand raised, gripping tightly to her cross. It kept her grounded even though she sensed her heart ready to jump from her chest and land between them at any moment. 

“Honestly, I’m really proud of you.” Her stomach fluttered from the adorably elated look that crossed Sterling’s beautiful face. She shifted from side to side, her stare dancing from the floor back to Sterling. “And I envy you. I really wish I had your… strength.” She laughed at herself, half rolling her eyes. “Maybe if I did, you wouldn’t be on a date with Chase.” 

There was a catch in her throat, and she could feel the heat rising from her neck and filling her cheeks and ears. April hated when she spoke before her brain had a chance to stop her 

Sterling smiled, shyly as she reached for April, wrapping her hand around her wrist. She held it snuggly between them. “I definitely wouldn’t be on a date with Chase.” She stated, holding firm eye contact with April. 

The air around them grew thick and April’s mouth dropped open slightly as she struggled to find something to say. The sound of Sterling’s phone broke the bubble that formed around them, and Sterling jumped pulling the device back into view. 

“It’s Blair. I have to go.” Sterling said, reluctantly releasing April’s wrist. She stammered for a moment, blinking twice before shifting on her feet. “I’ll-see you across the way in a few minutes.” The hopeful glint shined in Sterling’s eyes and April tried not to fold under the weight of her stare. 

“Maybe we should concentrate on our respective groups.” April suggested, but there was a playfulness in her tone. “You’re really messing up my game.” 

Sterling blushed, bouncing on her toes. “See you in Spanish on Monday then.” She winked, brushing her fingers across April’s arm before pulling the door open and leaving bathroom… 

**************************************** 

April was exhausted. 

When she returned home from her night out with Ezequiel and Hannah B., her father was gone. Her mother explained that, for now, the lake house would be a much better place for him to spend his time. Take some time to think about his actions and who he had become as a man. As a father. 

She’d stayed up with her mother for the rest of the weekend. Listening to her sob about her failed marriage and what she could have done better as a wife. Never once taking for account what a piece of shit her father was. How he didn’t deserve everything her mother had done for him over the last twenty or so years. He didn’t appreciate his wife, his family, his home. He treated them like he was a ruler, not a husband. Not a father. 

April prayed he stayed away forever. 

The only bright spot of her Monday was seeing Sterling as she walked into Spanish class. Her crisp button down white shirt, opened at the top revealing the smallest amount of smooth skin. April tried not to breathe her in as she passed by her desk. She tried to ignore the shiver that made its way down her spine when Sterling placed a comforting touch on her shoulder. She had no idea what happened in April’s home over the weekend, yet she still sensed that April needed some type of comfort. 

Even if it was just a gentle touch. 

Señora O’Reily went over their assignment for the day and, in all honesty, April was only half listening. She was hyper focused on the fact that Sterling was behind her. Most likely staring a whole into the back of her neck. The warmth on her skin told her that was exactly the case and she wanted to badly to turn around and meet her gaze. To tell Sterling about her father being gone and hoping he would never come back. 

A small part of her wondered if this newfound information would change things between them. If it would allow the door to open, bringing them back to where they were before John Stevens was released from prison. Before he poked a hole in their perfectly sculpted bubble and brought everything crashing down around them. 

Before she lost Sterling with the disillusioned hope of maybe someday. 

“Asóciese y vea qué cosas nuevas pueden aprender el uno del otro.” 

April grazed her teeth against her bottom lip trying to contain her smile. Their teacher’s assignment requesting they partner up would give her the opportunity she needed. She would tell Sterling about her dad. Maybe continue talking about what comes next and what that meant for them. Well, she would ask Sterling if there was even a chance for them to try again. And, this time, she would promise to be brave. 

“Hey, Sterling. Why don’t we partner up?” 

April knitted her brow together, half cocking her head to look over her shoulder. Eliza Caldwell was leaning to the side, her dark hair cascading over her shoulder as she tilted her desk closer to Sterling. There was something about the tone of her voice that made the hair on April’s arms bristle. She definitely didn’t like the way Eliza was looking Sterling up and down, smiling slyly at her. 

“Um, yeah, sure.” Sterling stammered, chancing a quick glance toward April who subtly wiped her chin on her shoulder and turned away. She sighed, looking at the dark haired girl requesting her partnership. “Kinda weird though since we’ve never really done this before.” 

Eliza laughed; a flirtatious sound that made April tighten her grip on her textbook. “Well, I was kinda nervous about talking to you but now that I know you’re-“ She glanced around the room for a moment before leaning impossibly closer to Sterling. “Bi. I thought, maybe we could get to know each other better.” She shrugged her shoulder. “Like, maybe go to Fun Zone? After school?” 

April gritted her teeth, startling herself when she accidentally ripped a page in her textbook. She heard the nervous stammer in Sterling’s voice, and she could just imagine how many times the other girl had blinked. Her anxious laugh followed the stammering and April prayed that she would turn Eliza down. But, when she heard Sterling yelp, she could only assume that Blair prodded her somehow to respond the way she did. 

“Sure. Why not?” 

********************************************************************** 

“Eliza Caldwell?” 

“Are you serious? I didn’t know she was gay.” 

“Yeah, well, apparently she’s something.” April responded, angrily pulling her lunch from her bag. She released a disbelieving laugh as she shook her head. “And now her and Sterling are going on a date to Fun Zone. Fun zone!” 

Ezequiel furrowed his brow, looking at April like she had two heads. “Why do you care if Sterling goes on a date with her to Fun Zone?” 

“It’s where-“ April stopped herself before she said too much. In her annoyed state, she had almost forgotten that she didn’t tell her best friends about her first date with Sterling. “It’s-it’s a school night and we have a Forensics meeting early tomorrow.” She barely noticed Ezequiel’s gaze shifting down toward her hand taking sight of the fact that she was currently squeezing the contents out of her sandwich. “She can’t afford to miss that because she is already pretty twitchy when it comes to debate and-“ 

“Okay, I’m going to stop you right there.” Ezequiel interrupted, reaching out to take her now destroyed sandwich from her hand. He placed the sandwich aside and cupped April’s hands with his own. He locked eyes with her, seriousness covering his features. “We know.” 

April’s heart found its home in her throat again. “Know what?” She croaked out before clearing her throat. 

“About you and Sterling.” Ezequiel confessed, squeezing her hand. 

April widened her eyes, her mouth falling agape. “Wh-what are you-“ 

“We saw you talking by her car after a Fellowship meeting about a month ago.” Hannah B said, searching through her purse. She focused on her task not meeting April’s stunned stare. “Then you guys started making out.” 

Ezequiel made a noise of agreement, patting April’s hand. “Then we saw her pick you up and put you on the hood of her car and-“ 

“Shh!” April ordered, a little louder than she had planned. She glanced around the quad then leaned further across the table. Her jaw flexed and she spoke through clenched teeth. “Why didn’t you two say anything?” 

“Because it’s not our place to out you.” Ezequiel responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

And it was. 

Hannah B. looked up from her purse. “Yeah, we figured you would tell us when you were ready.” She shrugged her shoulder. “We thought hinting about supportive people might make things easier, but you still didn’t say anything so-“ 

“We couldn’t let you keep spiraling like this.” He added, smiling warmly at her. “So, we agreed being honest with you was the easiest way to make you feel like you could be honest too.” 

April breathed in, fighting the urge to let the water building behind her eyes slip down her cheek. She cleared her throat, shifting back. Her body relaxed, and she clasped her hands together on the table. “I should have told you two but with my dad being… my dad… there was no way I could risk anyone knowing.” 

Ezequiel patted her hand. “Understood. Seriously.” 

Hannah B. tilted her head, curiously. “So, what happened? Why is Sterling dating when you two are a thing?” 

April twisted her mouth, chewing lightly on the corner of her bottom lip. “We aren’t a thing-anymore.” She swallowed, clearing the sudden dryness in her throat. “We-I ended things during the lock in because John had just come home and there was so much going on. I wasn’t brave enough to be the person Sterling wanted me to be.” 

“Well, that’s just a load of bullshit.” Ezequiel scoffed, crossing one leg over the other. “April Stevens is the bravest person I know.” 

“Not when it comes to my father. He’s unpredictable. Who knows how he would have reacted if he found out about us? He could have hurt me-“ She brought her hand to her neck, taking hold of her cross once again. “He could have hurt Sterling.” She lowered her hands, sitting straighter on the hard bench. “There was no way I would allow that to happen.” 

“Your father is gone now, right? Maybe you guys can try again.” Hannah suggested, hopefully. 

“Yeah because you and Sterling-“ Ezequiel blew out a breath. “Talk about power couple.” 

April huffed a laugh, reaching for a random napkin sitting beside her torn apart lunch. “Funny thing is, I was thinking the same thing.” She raised her hand, her eyes widening slightly. “Not the power couple thing…” She flashed a half smirk, shrugging her shoulder. “Even though we totally would be.” 

“Oh, totally.” Hannah B. agreed, nodding her head as Ezequiel muttered in agreement. 

“But-about trying again.” April slowly shredded the napkin between her fingers trying to busy her hands. “When Señora O’Reily suggested partnering up, I was going to tell her everything. Then, I don’t know, maybe ask her to give us another chance but then-“ Her lip curled up, irritated. “Eliza decided to throw her pride flag into the ring…” 

“Girl, you honestly think she would chose Eliza over you?” Ezequiel waved his hand dismissively and scoffed. He pursed his lips. “I think we need to get an answer to that question.” 

April wrinkled her brow, confused. “What do you mean?” 

His eyes twinkled mischievously as he looked from one girl to the next. “What do you say to a game of skeeball after school?” 

A slow smile pulled onto April’s lips as she nodded her head. She honestly couldn’t have asked for better, more supportive friends….. 

******************************************************************** 

April wondered if this could be considered borderline stalking. 

The first time she ran into Sterling, she was unprepared. It wasn’t intentional so there was no reason to feel weird about their encounter. Now, she was fully prepared. This was completely intentional. But she was also about to invade the other girls’ date. 

Yeah, this was definitely borderline stalking. 

The thought stopped April in her tracks inches before walking through the entrance of Fun Zone. Ezequiel rolled his eyes, gently taking her arm. He pulled the door open, filling the once quiet space with the sound of video games and voices jumbled together. He tried to tug her forward, but April planted her feet clearly having second thoughts. 

“She’s on a date. I don’t want to intrude.” 

“You’re not intruding. I promise you she does not want to be out with this girl.” 

“Yeah, I kinda overheard her and Blair talking in the library. She felt a little put on the spot.” 

The tension in April’s body seemed to subside from Hannah B.’s admission. Sterling was so good. She was such a beautiful soul that April believed she would accept a date because she felt bad about saying no. She could hear the empathy when she accepted the date. The same way she heard it when she spoke about being out with Chase Colton. 

Ezequiel furrowed his brow, turning to Hannah B. “How do you find all this stuff out?” 

Hannah B. shrugged, pushing her purse strap further over her shoulder. “No one really pays attention when April isn’t around, so I hear stuff.” A bright smile pulled onto her lips. “Good thing too otherwise you would think Sterling actually gave a crap about this date.” 

Ezequiel placed his free hand on his chest, feigning an offended gasp. “Hannah B., language.” He teased, earning a light slap on the arm. His arm looped through April’s and he flashed her an easy smile. “Come on. Let’s go break up this date.” 

April groaned, tossing her head back. “This already feels really stalker like. Can you not add in crazy ex-girlfriend too?” 

Ezequiel made a face, amused. “Don’t they technically fall under the same category?” 

“Alright, that’s it. I’m not doing this.” April huffed, throwing her hands up. 

She turned to walk back to the car, but Hannah B. placed her hands on her shoulders turning her back around. April whined, a sound that she didn’t normally make. She grumbled and dropped her head back, dragging her feet as Ezequiel pulled her through the door. Being bratty wasn’t part of her repertoire. 

But, right now, she believed the emotion was necessary. 

****************************************************************************************** 

An hour had passed and there was no sign of Sterling. 

April wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Fun Zone wasn’t exactly a tiny place. She honestly could be any where and April wasn’t going to spend the entire night searching for her. The lines she crossed just by being in the same place as Sterling and her date was already pushing limits she never thought she would push. 

Ezequiel and Hannah B. decided to keep the search going while April stopped to let out some tension playing skeeball. She wasn’t kidding when she said the clacking of wooden balls was somewhat satisfying. It helped center her emotions and prepare herself for whatever would come next. 

April rolled the ball in her hands, glancing at the bright scoreboard. Her face scrunched, disappointed by the score staring back at her. She normally was much better at this game, but Skeeball wasn’t really her main focus at the moment. All she could think about was Sterling and what she was actually going to say to her. 

That part was still a muddled mess of syllables and incoherent declarations of wanting them to be together. 

Her arm reared back, ready to score yet another hundred points. She was unexpectantly bumped from behind and the ball slipped from her hand, landing into the lowest possible point slot. April tensed her jaw, turning to give the offending party a piece of her mind. All words died on her tongue at the sight of Sterling smiling brightly at her. 

“We have to stop meeting like this.” She joked, her features shifting into an adorably apologetic grimace. She pointed at the score. “Sorry I messed up your game.” 

April quickly shook off the stunned silence that had over come her. “No, it’s-“ She sighed, a slow half smile pulled onto her lips. “It’s okay.” 

Sterling titled her head, narrowing her eyes curiously. “What are you doing here?” 

“Oh, uh-“ April swallowed, anxiously as she raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Ezequiel and Hannah B. wanted to play some games so I kinda, you know, tagged along.” 

Sterling continued her narrowed eyed stare. A skeptical hum escaped her as she crossed her arms against her chest. “And this has nothing to do with my date with Eliza?” 

“What? No. What?” April released a dismissive noise and waved her hand. She took in a breath, mimicking Sterling’s stance. “How’s that going by the way?” 

An amused smile ticked on Sterling’s lips. “You really want to know?” 

April shifted on her feet, pulling in as much strength as she possible could muster. “Before I say anything else-“ She gave Sterling an honest and sincere look. “I do… really want to know.” 

Sterling chest hitched, a little surprised by April’s response. She exhaled, dropping her hands to her side as she looked around. “Well, as you can see, I’m alone.” Her hands slapped softly against her side. “I wasn’t really into it.” 

April was sure her relief was evident as she watched Sterling smile a little wider. 

Sterling shrugged, nervously scratching at the back of her neck. “I was actually about to head home when I saw you here and-” 

“My father is gone.” April blurted, without a thought. That was not exactly how she intended to start this conversation. 

“What?” 

April exhaled heavily, raising her hand to gently scratch between her brow. “My father is gone.” She repeated, a little calmer. She held Sterling’s wide eyed stare. “He moved out and, regardless of what my mom thinks, I’m pretty sure they’re going to get a divorce.” 

Sterling’s throat bobbed, anxiously and she took an unconscious step forward. Her mouth opened and closed several times. She breathed out through her nose, obviously unable to gather how she wanted to respond to this new information. She reached for April’s hand and she didn’t hesitate to accept the contact. 

April glanced down at her joined hands, feeling a warmth flow through her body. Feeling Sterling’s hand in hers again was the jolt of adrenaline she needed. “I don’t know if I’m… fully ready to come out and if that doesn’t work for you then I completely understand.” She took a step forward, closing what little space was left between them. She tilted her gaze upward, keeping her full focus on watching Sterling react to her words. “But I miss you, Sterling. I miss what we had and what we were building toward.” 

Sterling gently pressed her teeth into her bottom lip. “I missed you so much.” She confessed, wrinkling her nose. “Every date I went on reminded me of just how much I missed you.” 

April chuckled quietly, rolling her eyes in disbelief of herself. “You have no idea how badly I wanted to throw my Spanish book at Eliza when she asked you out.” 

Sterling took in a tiny, mocking gasp. “April Stevens were you jealous?” She asked, swinging their hands back and forth between them. 

April rolled her eyes. “Not dignifying that with a response.” 

Sterling laughed, brushing her thumb against the back of April’s hand. “Where do we go from here?” 

The inquiry made April’s heart flutter in her chest. “I don’t know about you, but I would love for us to try again.” She gnawed gently on the corner of her lip, her eyes dancing around the space before landing back on Sterling’s beautiful face. “And, maybe, keep going… together.” 

Sterling raised her free hand, cupping April’s chin as she brushed her thumb softly against her skin. She smiled when April shuttered from her touch. Sterling grinned mischievously taking April’s other hand as she took a few steps backwards. 

“Come on.” Sterling requested, tugging April along with her. 

April furrowed her brow, curiously as she allowed herself to be lead through the arcade. “Where are we going?” 

Sterling flashed a toothy grin. “I thought you might be up for a game of laser tag.” 

************************************************************** 

The sound of lasers and beeping surrounded them, but April didn’t care. All that mattered was the feel of Sterling’s lips against hers and the softness of her skin under her hand. She felt her vest vibrate and groaned, breaking their contact temporarily. 

“When I find out who shot me-“ 

“Seriously?” Sterling chuckled, wrapping her hand gently around April’s bicep. She tugged her impossibly closer, brushing her nose against April’s. “You have zero chance of winning this game so how about you focus on me?” 

April tried to fight the smile forming on her lips, but it was impossible. “You have a fair point.” 

“Sometimes I make sense.” Sterling joked, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. “You know what? My parents aren’t home…” She leaned in, teasingly brushing her nose against April’s, a sly grin playing on her lips. “How about we quit and go hang out at my house?” 

April leaned into Sterling, her mouth hovering close as she mirrored the taller girl’s grin. “Consider this my surrender.” 

Sterling swallowed, nervously before clearing her throat. “From the game or to me?” 

April smile spread turning into the one she knew Sterling couldn’t resist. “Both.” She whispered, kissing Sterling hard enough to entice a small whine from the blonde when she pulled away. She clasped Sterling’s hand, tugging her away from wall and out of the arena….

**Author's Note:**

> This is me fulfilling a prompt I received because the SAVE TEENAGE BOUNTY HUNTERS petition hit 25k signatures and is still growing! If you haven't signed it yet... be sure you do....
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this little thing that I attempted to create :)
> 
> Comment.. Comment.. Comment... PLEASE.. I love to hear from all of you!
> 
> Also, leave some love if you can.. and you can always find me on twitter, tumblr or sometimes as part of the discord chat...


End file.
